Improper Vehicle Maintenance Can Lead to Trucking Accidents
Large trucks are a common part of daily life. One city streets and highways in particular, you're bound to see one. If these large trucks get into collisions with other vehicles, the results can be deadly. That's why our Oklahoma City attorneys always take these kinds of cases so seriously.
Commercial trucking collisions and semi-truck accidents can occur for a variety of reasons. We'd like to consider truck accidents that are the result of poor vehicle maintenance, as these are often quite avoidable.
Proper Maintenance Is Key for Safety
Cars today are safer on the whole than cars made in years past. That being the case, the best way to ensure proper vehicle safety is regular maintenance and servicing of your vehicle. This helps keep the engine running properly and also ensures that the brakes, steering, tires, and fluid levels are all in good working order.
Before you go on a long drive, for instance, making sure your car is properly serviced and maintenanced is a great idea to stay safe.
Trucks Require Regular Service
Since this is an ideal practice for regular passenger vehicles, you can imagine that semi-trucks and commercial vehicles ought to have more stringent guidelines about repairs, service, fluid checks and changes, and other sorts of maintenance. Since these vehicles routinely make long drives for many hours at a time, regular repairs and fixes are a key part of safety.
Potential Problems Due to Lack of Vehicle Maintenance
Some potential problems that can affect the safety of a semi-truck include the following:
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Brake Problems – If a large truck has faulty brakes, this can make collisions far more likely.
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Poor Steering – Steering issues can make it even more difficult to drive and maneuver an already large vehicle that's difficult to maneuver.
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Issues with Tires – Tire alignment and general tire quality can mean the difference between a safe truck and a potential cause of collisions.
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Headlight Problems – When headlights aren't functioning properly, driving at night can be very dangerous.
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Taillights and Blinkers – Issues with taillights and turn signals can both be serious, leading to numerous hazard with other motorists.
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Broken Windshield Wipers – Even something as simple as a broken windshield wiper can lead to major dangers when it comes to long hours on the road.
What Trucking Companies and Truck Drivers Can Do
Trucking companies need to have regularly scheduled servicing and maintenance of their vehicles. This allows them to rotate vehicles in and out, and to ensure that potentially unsafe vehicles are not on the road. What's more, truck drivers should note any issues that notice while on the road so these potential hazards can be properly addressed. Failure to account for the roadworthiness of a large truck may be a sign of negligence in the case of a serious collision.
Issues with Repairs and Mechanic Errors
Sometimes the problem isn't the vehicle itself but the technician or mechanic who looked at the vehicle. In these cases, the mechanic was negligent in their duty, which rendered a large truck unsafe for the road. They may be liable for accidents and injuries that result for their mistakes.
Contact Our Team of Attorneys Today
If you'd like more information about your legal rights in major auto accidents, be sure to contact our team of personal injury attorneys today. The lawyers of Tawwater Law Firm, PLLC will work with you in your time of legal need.
